Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-11-15

Low. with sn honest American lace.
His soldi-rly bearing ~ss that OF .
veteran. Although mere youth. he had
been trained Ia wsr's rOughes, school.
AT the downfall Of the Conf,dersey he
had made bis way across the Rio Orande,
still wearing hi. faded gray jacket. ard
bad lined Msiimilisn's army.
Corporal John vor. bic French uniform
gracefully. bu, The lingo Of biz comrades
vas too much ior him. and this made him
/. little uneasy In the presence of bis
Captain
"My American friend" said Davsl,
",ou have Tough, bash~hssksr'
"Ye., Csp,sin."
"And shsrp,hOoisr'
"Ye.. Captain,
"And bngsad.,"
"Yu, C.p,sin."
"And all sorts Of devils. I doub, not.
We'll. then, Corporal John. THAT did you
do 9TH them when you caught them
"Clickl"
"Thi. ,isnih-.n, soand. made by =
peculiar working Of the eorPot.rs mouth.
arrested the frnehmsn's attention
Good" b. ,j.eal.,ed. "iou shoot
them on the spon =.
eve led them oa, into the bushes,
aid the corporal. "sDd lo.i them. And
they ~ere never found again. ClieAl
"vsry ~,ll." said Da,.l ~i,h q s.,i''
fed looi. "On The prireipls Of setting .
thief TO catch a thief | propose to turn
these assassin. over To you. on The
march ,o-mono~ take few picked men
and watch every Suspicious place. II
you Ind any human being 10 ambush
With arms 10 his hands shoo, him. III
,h. CAS-. call. for Investigation II ~ill be
looked into later. Our frs, duty 10 SELF
preservation"
cit shall b. done," replied Corporal
John. as he retired
IL "a. nearly sundown the ns,' day
when Corporal John and tao OF bis men
plunged into the dense and tangled
,hick,, a little oa ihsir line of march.
The corporal was sure ,hs; be bad seen
.Oms,hing run 10 cover and be found be
VAS 70, mistaken. .
Bg, this pfi.onsr. with bis arm arOnnd
the neck o! hs little mustang. ws no
ordinary bushshseker. When the too
soldiers .eizsd him Corporal John 'aS be-
fore him . boy Of sbOu, eighteen. = hand
some. spirited looking youns''.r. IN eiu'
rem. dr,.. and armed with light rih'
Trembling and flashing by turns, the
prisoner A.,hsd hi, black eyes dshsn'ly'
and cried oai:
"uahand me. setor! will not sub
mi, to this Outrage"
lie spoke In spanish. and the corporal
understood hi. language much better than
be did French.
"who ere you and ~hs, are you doing
here" be s,ksd s,srnly.
The little Mexican drew himself up
lsughinsly.
81, !. no crime to hun,," be replied.
| am no, . colder. See, wear no Uni.
form. Why an treated in this w.y'
Restore my rifle and my mustang and let
me proceed OF my way. u.
II ~ss . wonderfully s~ee, voice and
|, had an impsriOus ring in Il. Corporal
John wsver,d . moment, but one OF the
men spoke up:
"a cursed brigsnd and caught With
aims in hi. hands in ambush. Rsmem-
Der the esptsin's order
"I ~ill take him down TO the river
and fini.h him my'elf," 'sid the corporal,
grimly. 81 can't take you two from the
road At present Keep your eyes open
There vas pro,ss, from the Others
bu, the corporal silsnesd them.
III won't have any useless noise, be
exclaimed. "rll take him to the river.
Gu, hi. thro., and throw him in. That
will be the safest plan. -.
Tying the hands Of the prisoner. he led
him through the thick undefgro~,h down
to the muddy stream . hundred yards
from the road.
"Senor."
CORPORAL John looked down relentless
ly into the youthful face.
"wsll," be answered grufiiy.
"Senor. thi. IL . brave deed Tor .
soldier. 10 murder an unarmed prisoner.
"You and your friends have been
numbering our men," replied the eorpo-
raj, "snd we must gs, even End Get an
example"
.ssoor, ls. me speak. k. than .
month ego band Of Jour soldiers burned
our hacienda. They stabbed my father.
q harmless old man. With their bsyonsts
until be wss dead. Ny mother fed into
the swsmps .hsrs she died Of cold and
exposure. Well. I will tell the truth.
Since then my brother and have been
With the gusrrillss, aud We have done
some good work. Do you blame mel
Corporal John thought Of similar ex.
perisncs in his own case. when be WAS
lighting for the Coniedsrsey. .
"No, I don't" be blurtsd out; "bat !
don't know whether you are telling the
truth OF lie. Imust obey ordera"
"Bai. senor. would you kill woman
"A girl" :,
"0ood God!" criei the corporal.
Then when he glanced at the up'ained
face and saw the liquid syss with their
long lsshss. the pou'ing. crimson liP''
and the family flushed daik face. he
wondered ,hs, be had not suspected tie
truth before.
.senosi,s." stsmmsred the rough
colder, 81 AN sorry that you are In
trouble. You may rss sssared, how
ever, ths, I An not going to kill you."
III knsv IT," and the giil smiled TIL
unphsasly.